End of the Year Book Survey 2012

1. Best Book You Read In 2012? (You can break it down by genre if you want)

I cannot simply pick one! There were SO many good ones.

Fantasy – This is a tie between Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo and Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore. I adored them both for different reasons.

Contemporary – Jennifer Echols takes this one with Such a Rush, my new favorite book by her!

SciFi – Another one where I’m going to need to list 2 books because I loved them both SO HARD. False Memory by Dan Krokos and The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken.

Dystopian will go to The Selection by Kiera Cass, because that is a dystopian I actually liked *gasp*

Middle Grade is Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger because it is SO GOOD. Like SO GOOD.

Paranormal is The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa, since she simply rocks. Also The Catastrophic History of You and Me by Jess Rothenberg was completely fantastic, as was Touching the Surface by Kimberly Sabatini. These two are both afterlife stories and are framed very different.

Best Adult Romance goes to A Rogue by Any Other Name by Sarah MacLean. SHE IS A FREAKING GENIUS.

2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?

Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson – I was absolutely ecstatic about this one. I LOVE Peter Pan and loved the idea of Tiger Lily, yet it just fell flat for me.

3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2012?

Rage by Jackie Morse Kessler – so I didn’t love the first book in this series, Hunger, so I wasn’t even going to pick up Rage. The only reason I picked it up is because a friend told me my favorite character from book 1 was featured a lot in this one, so I went for it. I figured I’d try 10 pages and see where I was at. I WAS HOOKED. And now this series is one I count down for the next book :)

4. Book you recommended to people most in 2012?

I think that is definitely False Memory by Dan Krokos. Or maybe Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally. Everyone and their mother got these recommendations from me this year.

5. Best series you discovered in 2012?

The best series I discovered this year was Sarah MacLean’s Love By Numbers series. It was just SO DARN GOOD.

A lot of series started this year too which I absolutely adored: False Memory by Dan Krokos, Tempest by Julie Cross, The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa, The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken, Witch’s Brew by Heidi R Kling, and Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo were my favorites of the year.

6. Favorite new authors you discovered in 2012?

7. Best book that was out of your comfort zone or was a new genre for you?

All the romance and erotica I have been reading! So all of that, particularly Maya Banks’s Sweet Series and Cherise Sinclair’s Master of the Shadowlands series. Which are both quite excellent.

8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2012?

This one wasn’t thrilling really, but unputdownable, yes indeed. Sarah MacLean’s A Rogue By Any Other Name was unputdownable! I stayed up til 4:30 reading this one and then I had to be up at 7 the next morning. It was not fun.

9. Book You Read In 2012 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year:

Such a Rush by Jennifer Echols. I reread this lady’s books like some people eat goldfish crackers.

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2012?

I absolutely adore the book cover for Freshman Year and Other Unnatural Disasters by Meredith Zeitlin. It’s so cute. I also really like the cover for When the Sea Is Rising Red by Cat Hellisen and The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa. I thought these were both really cleverly done. The cover for Underworld by Meg Cabot is one of my favorites. And lastly, my absolute favorite cover of 2012 is the cover for Touching the Surface by Kimberly Sabatini – it is just stunning.

11. Most memorable character in 2012?

Hamloaf from The Catastrophic History of You and Me by Jess Rothenberg. He is clearly the coolest dog to walk to the pages of YA lit :)

Talking people from books Trevor from Touching the Surface by Kimberly Sabatini. He was just such a well written character and he had some of the funniest lines.

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2012?

The Catastrophic History of You and Me. I quote from my review of the book, “By the time I had finish maybe five pages of this one, I had to stop and just marvel at the writing.” I rambled on about her writing. It is just gorgeous. With the exception of Harry Potter or possibly Sea, I don’t think I’ve ever had so many favorite quotes from one book. I just love her writing!

13. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2012?

I would have to say Don’t Breathe a Word by Holly Cupala. Also Goddess Interrupted because Aimee Carter KILLED ME with the ending of that book.

14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2012 to finally read?

A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz – This book was SO FANTASTIC. It had been on my shelf since it had come out and I just never got around to reading it. I SO REGRET IT.

15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2012?

“There is no such thing as too much Disney” Jess Rothenberg is my hero for putting this quote in The Catastrophic History of You and Me. It is my life anthem. This book is actually SO quotable. Jess Rothenberg is one of the most talented writers I’ve come across in years.

16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2012?

Longest was Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore at 563 pages.

I think the shortest was Radiance by Alyson Noel with 183 pages.

17. Book That Had A Scene In It That Had You Reeling And Dying To Talk To Somebody About It? (a WTF moment, an epic revelation, a steamy kiss, etc. etc.) Be careful of spoilers!

Bathroom scene is False Memory by Dan Krokos. WHO KNEW BATHROOMS COULD BE SEXY?!

Collision by Stefne Miller for the most shocking ending to a book EVER. I needed to talk to someone STAT after I finished. I was a mess.

18. Favorite Relationship From A Book You Read In 2012 (be it romantic, friendship, etc).

MIRANDA NORTH AND PETER IN FALSE MEMORY. That stuff is HOTTT.

19. Favorite Book You Read in 2012 From An Author You Read Previously

The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken – I had been pining away for another book by her since I finished Brightly Woven and this one lived up to every expectation I had for it and more.

Blood Fever by Veronica Wolff was another favorite. I swear, this series just gets better and better with each book.

20. Best Book You Read That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else:

SARAH MACLEAN’S BOOKS. I now live an enlightened life thanks to all the lovelies who recommended her books to me.

Also, Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard. SO many people were raving about it so I finally bumped it up my TBR pile and read it.

4. Most thought-provoking review or discussion you read on somebody else’s blog?

Definitely the Get Real YA event at Andersons because I got to meet MIRANDA KENNEALLY! HOW COOL IS THAT?!

6. Best moment of book blogging in 2012?

There were quite a few. I think one of them went to the NYC Teen Book Festival earlier this year. I was a TON of fun and I had a blast. I got to see the lovely Kate and Jamie and so many other people. Asher from Paranormal Indulgence recognized me from my vlogs so I also got to meet her there. ALSO I MET STEPHANIE PERKINS. I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH STEPHANIE PERKINS. SHE REMEMBER WHO I WAS. My life was then complete. I also got to see Leila Sales again, who probably thinks I’m a nutcase since I own approximately 10 zillion copies of her books and also got to meet Jess Rothenberg who wrote The Catastrophic History of You and Me, but I was too shy to introduce myself so I got a tweet later of her telling me that next time I’d have to actually introduce myself.

7. Most Popular Post This Year On Your Blog (whether it be by comments or views)?

The most popular posts on my blog this year were the YA March Madness, since people were going crazy voting :) But the other most popular post I had this year was my YA Mindset post. It still gets TONS of hits and has a ton of comments.

9. Best bookish discover (book related sites, book stores, etc.)?

I mean it’s not really bookish related, but PINTEREST! OMG. I pin stuff like there is no tomorrow. A lot deals with books :)

10. Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year?

I so did and I’m happy. I had a goal to read 150 books. I surpassed that. I am currently up to 238 and I still have a few days left in the year :) It’s the most I’ve ever read in a year! Plus I completely the Fantasy challenge, Debut Author Challenge, Completely Contemp Challenge, and the Historical Fiction challenge :)

Looking Ahead…

1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2012 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2013?

Above World by Jenn Reese, Auracle by Gina Rosati, and SOMETHING LIKE NORMAL BY TRISH DOLLER!

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2013?

SO MANY! There are a lot of trilogies that I love that are coming to in end in 2013 like Courtney Allison Moulton’s Angelfire series so I’m excited for those. There were also some FAB new series that started in 2012 so I’m excited about sequels *cough* mainly Seige and Storm by Leigh Bardugo *cough*. Then there are also a HUGE HUGE HUGE amount of books I am just freaking excited for in 2013! Like Shadowlands by Kate Brian, Taken by Erin Bowman, Jennifer Echols’s first adult book, and SO SO many more! ALSO THE TESTING BY JOELLE CHARBONNEAU!! THAT BOOK LOOKS EPIC.

3. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging In 2013?

I need to blog more in 2013. College this fall kind of made my blog take one for the worse and I am not a fan. In 2013, I’m determined to change that!

5 Responses to End of the Year Book Survey 2012

I found some new books I haven’t heard of from your survey. I have to agree with you on The Selection it was a good book. It wouldn’t be my favorite but I’d say top 5 of that category. I love that quote by the way..there definitely is never too much disney! :)